Manish Kumar landed in the Capital from Bihar three years ago with happy thoughts that his childhood dream of becoming a doctor was almost within grasp.

He was on the right path, with a seat secured in a well-known medical college and with the realisation that he could finally shed the caste identity that was part of his small-town upbringing.

In the three years since, Manish has studied hard, seen the insides of a court room, filed RTI applications and knocked at the doors of government offices, but has still not managed to get past the second year of the MBBS course.

â€œI was a first year medical student at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College in 2008 when I first failed in physiology. This happened again in July 2010 and I sat for the supplementary exams in October. I did not know how to react when I found out that I had failed again in the supplementary exams along with 24 of my classmates, every one of whom belonged to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or some other reserved category,â€ says Manish, adding that he received a bigger shock when he found that among the 25, there were students who had been failing only in physiology from 2004 onwards until 2009.

Manish and his friends realised something else later. â€œThe university allots roll numbers to the reserved category candidates in a row and the answer-sheets are coded and collected in a way that the identity of the reserved category students is revealed easily.â€

Ever since this revelation, the students seem to have knocked at every door that could help them -- from filling RTI applications to complaints with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and even going to the High Court.

However, the legal battle only brought them some temporarily relief. â€œUnder the Court's supervision, we took another exam in which every one of us, including those who had failed repeatedly since 2004, passed. The Court also passed an order that we be allowed to attend classes for the second year and that due consideration be given for shortage of attendance.â€

Since then the students have been attending second year classes but were prevented from taking their exams in mid-November. â€œWe were told we did not have sufficient attendance. The Principal usually refused to meet us and whenever he had, he pretended that he was not aware of anything and seems to have washed his hands off the whole affair.â€

When contacted by The Hindu , the Principal refused to discuss the matter.

These days Manish spends all his time worrying whether he would be allowed at least to take the supplementary exams in March, and praying that he would not be humiliated every time he attends class.

â€œRight after the court case, the lecturers would tell our classmates to look at us -- the people who could only gain entrance into a medical college through reservations and couldn't pass without a High Court order. After some complaints it has toned down,â€ says Manish.

The students, however, believe another legal battle is imminent. â€œOur lawyer has asked us to file for contempt of court. I don't see this ending easily.â€

How did all pass afterwards then ? This is not district...this college in delhi where only SC's are failing.

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Precisely. This happens. But some students are not blameless either. There have been enough reports of them claiming discrimination because they were unable to cut it.

"How did all pass afterwards then?"- It is likely that they were deliberately failed due to their caste affiliation and under judicial scrutiny, the examiners were forced to be impartial and pass them. It is also entirely possible that the examiners chose to take the easy way out and pass all of them to avoid legal and other hassles.

There are two sides to every coin (except Jai's brilliantly crafted King George One Rupee in Sholay).

The court should have ordered scrutiny and revaluation by independent examiners since the bone of contention is that the test papers were which was manipulated to deliberately fail the SC candidates.

That way, the truth would have come out and the guilty, if any, punished.

That would have been justice.

By ordering a new test, the court has merely avoided taking the case to its legal end.

It is not for the courts to order re-tests and instead it is to dispense justice.

Who know that those who set the paper for the re test and those who examined were not deliberately lenient just to avoid hassles?

A most unusual judgement that does not meet, prima facie and without prejudice, the ends of justice.

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How do you know exam papers aren't destroyed once reasonable time has passed after examination ? im sure the college said they could not provide papers for rechecking since they dont have it because more than a year has passed and because of that court ordered re-test.

How do you know exam papers aren't destroyed once reasonable time has passed after examination ? im sure the college said they could not provide papers for rechecking since they dont have it because more than a year has passed and because of that court ordered re-test.

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The answer is not hard to find.

Check with any college or university and find out!

They are always geared up for legal cases that the most favoured citizens are sure to raise if they fail, and so they keep their posterior covered.

India has been psychologically hyped to be wary of the minority extravaganza in all its facets!

Haven't you seen the outrage over the composition of the Anna Team? They ask why is there not a SC rep or a Minority rep in the team. As if Corruption as a topic requires a representation of all type of diversity of this country to know that there is corruption!

If I want, I can tick minority, but I won't. I am no less than any and I don't want favours!

I am only stating that this Pollyanna shedding of tears won't work.

We must now stand up as say we are Indians and judge us as Indians.

But then, the vote bank will be upset by this!

Every action in India has made everyone defensive, even the minorities. And that shows in our outlook to our progress.

Instead of making one work for his position in society, we are making them weak and desirous of living on dole and dispensation, like the junkies wanting nirvana, not by work and meditation, but through hallucinatory drugs!

Thats because most of them study and have to work to supplement their family income. And they cannot afford the fancy coaching classes and tuitions the financially capable students can afford.

It would be foolish to say that all students must have the same mark/criteria when in the first place there is no level playing ground.

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Precisely. The level playing field. As you describe it, it's being unable to afford tuition fee or additional coaching. This is an issue of economics.

In a situation where say an impoverished student who as per regulations is not eligible for reservations based on caste since he/she belongs to group not deemed socially backward, will be denied the benefits that a candidate eligible for reserved category will be entitled too, even if the latter is economically well off- son/daughter of a senior politician, bureaucrat or entrepreneur, only because the latter belongs to a socially backward class.